There are many Karen languages which form a dialect chain in Burma and Thailand. The Ethnologue lists more than a dozen separate Karen languages in Burma (Myanmar) and Thailand, although S'Gaw Karen and Pwo Karen are by far the most prevalent.

Karen languages are monosyllabic and tonal. There are no final consonants, although some dialects do have a nasal syllable ending. Compound words are formed by agglutination (adding words together), although the meaning of a compound word is not always obvious from its components.

Karen languages are considered part of the Sino-Tibetan / Tibeto-Burman family of languages, and are related to Chinese. There was no written Karen language until recently, although an ancient form of writing similar to Chinese ideograms has been found. The following is an extract from "The Loyal Karens of Burma".

The Karens thus have no written literature. But they are the possessors of a rich bard literatire, which has been transmitted from generation to generation by men whose special business it is to commit to memory the traditions, legends, songs, and homely folk-lore; commend to the young their duties to elders and parents; recount the heroic deeds of old and of the race from memory; and teach students to be their successors as depositaries of the national traditions and folk-lore.

Supreme importance is attached to the correct transmission - exactly as originally rendered by the elders - of the story of God's dealings with the nation. They believed that God, who had cursed the Karen for losing the written Word, would certainly call upon them some day - near or distant, they knew not - to say how much they remembered of it; and that the blessing to each would be apportioned according to the care with which its words and truths had been treasured up.

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